OSHA begins investigation in oil rig death

by Staff ReportsMidland Reporter-Telegram

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, April 1, 2010

MIDLAND COUNTY — Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration began an investigation Friday into the drilling rig accident that took the life of a 35-year-old Big Spring man Thursday.

OSHA officials have up to six months to complete the investigation and will look into whether any safety standards were not being met at the time 35-year-old William Ryan Locke died, OSHA spokesman Michael Wald said Friday.

Locke died after falling from a ladder while working on a valve, Midland County Fire Marshal Dale Little said.

The incident occurred just before 1 p.m. Thursday about a mile south of Highway 158 and Farm-to-Market Road 1788 between Midland and Gardendale, Little said.

The ladder Locke had been working on was on a platform near a high pressure pipe. Little said it appeared a piece of the pipe broke and water at a pressure of around 3,000 pounds shot out at Locke and pushed him from the ladder down to the platform.

Officials await the results of an autopsy to confirm the cause of death. Little said they believe he was killed by the fall.

Locke was pronounced dead at 1:35 p.m. Thursday by Judge Joe Matlock. His body has since been sent to Tarrant County for an autopsy.

Four other individuals were working on the rig at the time of the incident. No one else was injured.

The rig is owned by Robinson Drilling of Texas Ltd. out of Big Spring, Little said.